Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-12-19
THE WORLDS JOYS.
DR.. TALNAGBS DISCOURSE IN THE TABER,
NACLR LAST SUNDAY.
Uses and Abuses Of the Worlds EniOymsnts-Rscrsa-
tons That Are Good and RscrsatOns That Are
Bad-ihs Worldly Man and the
Christians Pleasures

Special TeleorGR 10 TIE Register.
BROOKLYN, December 1S.-At the
Tabernacle this morning the whole con-
gregation sang the hymn beginning:
The hill Of Zion yields
Athousand sacred sweets
Before We reach the heavenly fields
Or walk the golden streets"
The Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage, D. D.,
preached on aRecreations Good and Bad, 1"
taking two texts: Corinthians, ch. Z, v.
81: They that use this world, as not
abusing it," and Judges, ch. IS, v. 25:
and it came to pass, when their hearts
were merry, that they said, call for Sam
son, that he may make US sport. And
they called f. Samson ont Of the prison
house; and he made them sport" Dr.
Talmage said:
We are entering the gayest season Of the
year The winter opens before us the
gates of thousand amusements, some of
them good and some bad. One of my
texts will show you that amusements
may be destructive, my other text will
show you that amusements may be under
the Divine blessing and directien.
There were three thousand people as.
semhled in the temple of Dagon. They
had come to make sport of eyeless Samson.
They were all ready for the entertainment.
They began to clap and pound, impatient
for the amusement to begin, and they
cried, Fetch him out! fetch him out"
Yonder see the blind old giant coming,
led by the hand of child into the very
midst of the temple. At his first appear
ance there goes up shout of laughter and
derision. The blind old giant pretends he
is tired, and wants 10 rest himself against
the pillars OF the house; so he
says to the lad who leads him,
''Show me where the main pillars arc"
The lad does So Then the strong man
puts his right hand on one pillar and his
left hand on another pillar, and, with the
mightiest push that mortal ever made,
throws himself forward until the whole
house comes down i'll thunderous crash
grinding the audience like grapes in wine
press. And 80 it came to pass, when
their hearts were merry, that they said,
call for Samson, that he may make us
sport. And they called for Samson out of
the prison house; and he made them
sport"
In other words: There are amusements
that are destructive, and bring down dis
aster and death upon the heads of those
who practice them. While they laugh
and cheer, they die. The three thousand
who persisted that day in GAIA are rs
nothing compared with the tens of thHa-
sands who have been destroyed by sinful
amusementS.
But THE OTHER TENT
| have read implies that there is lawful
use of the world a. we'll as an unlawful
abuse of il, and the difference between the
man Christian and the man un-Chrlstian
is that in the former case the man masters
the world while in the latter Gaze the
world masters him. For whom did God
make this grand and beautiful world? For
whom this wonderful expenditure of color,
this gracefulness of line this mosaic Of the
ground, this fresco Of the sky, this glow
ing fruitage Of the orchard and vineyard,
this full orchestra of the tempest, III which
the tree branches tlute, and the winds
trumpet, and the thunders drum, and Ill
the splerdors of earth and splendors OF
earth and sky come Clashing their GYM
balls? For whom did God spring the
arched bridge of colors resting upon but
tresses of broken stormcloud? For whom
did He gather the upholstery OF fire
around the window of the setting sun?
For all men; but more especially for his
own dear children. If you build
a large mansion and spread great
feast after it to celebrate the completion of
the structure, do you allow strangers to
come in and occupy the place while you
thrust your own children in the kitchen or
the barn or the field? On no. You say;
~ am very glad to see strangers in my
mansion, but my own sons and daughters
shall have the first right there" Now God
has built this grand mansion of world,
and he has spread glorious feast in it;
and while those who are strangers TO His
grace may come in, think that God cspec-
pecially intends to give the advantage to
His own children, those who ere the sons
and daughters Of the Lord Almighty, those
who through grace can look up and say,
Abba, Father" You can not make me
believe that God gives more advantages to
the world than he gives TO the Church
bought by His own blood. II, therefore,
people of the world have looked with do
lorOus sympathy upon hose who make
profession of religion, and have said,
-avta mi n
privation and into hardship. Why did not
they tarry little longer in the world, and
have
SOME OF ITS ENJOYNESTS
and amusements and recreations?" say
to such men of the world, lyon are great
ly mistaken" and before / get through ]
will show that those people who stay out
of the kingdom of God have the hardships
and self-denials, while those who come in
have the Joys and satisfaction.
This morning, in the name Of the King
of heaven aud earth, serve writ of
eiectment upon the sinful and polluted
who have sQuatted on the domain Of
earthly pleasures as though it belonged to
them, while claim, il behalf OF the good
and the true, the eternal Inheritance
which God has given them.
Hitherto, Christian philanthropists,
clerical aud lay, have buried themselves
chiefly in denouucipg sinful recreations;
hut fy1l We have no right to stand be-
fore men and women in whose hearts there
is desire for recreation amounting to pos
tive necessity, denourcing this and that
and the other thing when we do not pro-
pose to give them something better God
helping me this morning, and with refer
ence to my last account, | shall enter upon
a sphere not usual in sermonizipg, but
subject which ] think ought to be pre-
ssnted at this time propose now to lay
before you some Of the recreations which
are not only innocent, but positively help
ful apd advantageous.
In the first place, commend, among in
door recreations, music, vocal and insIu-
mental. Among the first things created
was the bird, so that the earth might have
music at the start. This world, which be-
gan with so sweet a serenade; is finally to